April 2010

Nobody’s Unpredictable

April 2010

Survey on incest survivors :

impact of incest experiences

on health and daily life

Nobody’s Unpredictable

Results of the survey

Ipsos/AIVI : Etat des lieux de la situation des personnes victimes d’inceste – vécu, état de santé et impact sur la vie quotidienne

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Methods

Survey led for: AIVI, the International Association of Incest Survivors

Sample : • 946 individuals from the general population that pictures French population from 15 years to older

• 341 adult survivors of incest

Date of the survey : • Survey on the general population : From 12th to 13th March 2010.

• Survey on incest survivors : From 26th February to 25th March 2010

Methodology : •Survey on the general population : individuals were interviewed over the phone by IPSOS.The sample of the general population was selected according the methodology of quotas by gender, profession of family head, grade of urban centres and area.

• Survey on incest survivors, members of AIVI who filled up a self-reported questionnaire on the website of IPSOS


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Incest survivors suffer from multiple disorders with a more important ratio than from the general French population

Question : For each of the following situation would you please answer if…

Regurlary feeling very depressed, being down in the dumps

Being really afraid of others or afraid of saying no

Regurlarly feeling irritable or having outburst of anger

Regularly experiencing suicidal ideas

or suicidal impulses

Are you regularly troubles by chronic pains

(backpain, migraines)

Being jumpy or being startled at something unexpected

72

66

64

35

68

59

26

27

28

51

17

24

6

8

14

15

15 2

1

1

119

7

20

2

38

12

37

22

33

12

18

22

44

70

46

86

44

65

1

1

1

Experiencing or having

experienced

%

98

93

92

86

85

83

56

29

53

14

56

34

No answerThis is a situation that you experienced but this is over

You never experienced such a situationThis is a situation that you are experiencing

Incest survivors General French population


experiencesd

%

Sample : General population (946 respondents)

Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents)


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Question : For each of the following question would you please …

42

31

26

4

7

14

34

33

29

26

20

6

24

34

45

69

73

79

1

1

2

4

2

22

7

2

11

5

10

22

10

7

8

91

88

56

82

91

81

1

76

64

55

30

27

20

9

12

44

17

9

19

No answerThis is a situation that you experienced but this is over.


Suffering from compulsive eating disorders

(anorexia, boulimia…)

Being really afraid to have children because of the fear one might

become a « bad » parent

Smoking on average more than ten cigarettes a day

Drinking on average more than 3 glasses of alcohol a day (including

over the week-end )

Using street drugs at least once per week

(cannabis, cocaïne, héroïne…)

Suffering with severe diseases (cancer, cardiac disorders, diabetes...)


experienced

%


experienced

%

Sample : General population (946 respondents)

Sample : Incest survivors (341 respondents

Victims of incest General French population

Incest survivors suffer from multiple disorders with more important ratio than from general French population (next)


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Trauma which have severe consequences on daily life of incest survivors

Question : And for each of the following questions would you say…

Upsetting thoughts or memories about the event against your will

Regular difficulties of failing or staying asleep

Upsetting dreams about the event

Being under the care of psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, psychotherapist or psychologist

more than six months

Unable being sexually active even if wishing

Difficulty concentrating or practicising your professional work

Self-harming regularly(cuts, burns, scratches, etc)

Being prostituated

74

65

49

54

44

35

11

1

20

25

37

30

33

33

30

11

5

9

14

16

22

32

59

88

1

1

1

ExperiencingOr having

Experienced

%

No answersThis is a situation that you experienced but this is over


94

90

86

84

77

68

41

12

Sample : Incest survivors 341 respondents)


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Incest survivors undervalue the quality of their daily life: on family, loving and professional issues.

Question : On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 meaning that you estimate that your life is not satisfying at all and 10 that you are fully satisfied (intermediate mark meaning to vary your judgement ), what mark would you give to

23

17

16

23

18

22

10

16

13

18

18

18

26

31

31

52-4 6to 71 8 to 10

Your loving life

Your professional life

Your family life

Sample : Incest survivors – People concerned by each of this situation

4,9

5,4

5,4

Average


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Most of incest survivors have already attempted suicide

Question : Have you ever attempted suicide?

22%

47%

31%

Yes, several times Yes, once None

Sample : Incest survivors (341 responses)

Yes53%


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About nine survivors over ten are experiencing or experienced guilt

Question : Are you feeling guilty from this event ?

51%

12%

37%


Yesi88%

Yes, but not any moreYes, still ongoing None


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Suvivors wait an average of 16 years delay until a spontaneous disclosure of incest

Question : How long after the facts did you disclose incest experiences to someone ?

Less than one year

1 to 4 years

5 to 9 years

10 to 19 years

20 to 25 years

More than 25 years

Do not reply

S/T Less than 10 years35%

S/T 10 years and more64%

Sample: Incest survivors (341 respondents)

=16 years

Average


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22%

18%

14%

9%

9%

7%

6%

A friend / an acquaintance

Your partner/ your previous partner)

Your father / your mother

Your physician

Another health professional

A brother / a sister

Another member of the family

Most of the survivors disclosed out of the family circle

Question : To whom did you disclose the first time the incest experiences ?

6%

3%

2%

1%

1%

1%

1%

A psychotherapist / psychiatrist / psychoanalyst

/ psychologist

A teacher / an educator

A member of charity

Your children

A social worker

A priest

To the police / To the police constable

S/T Un professionnel

31%


28%

S/T Family


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In most of the cases, incest survivors initiate a first disclosure

Question : When you disclose for the first time, it was…

No replyAfter replying to a question that was asked to you on this issue

From your initiative



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Question : And since you have disclosed for the first time, did you speak out again your experiences with other persons?

2%

3%

95%

Yes, only oneYes, several No

S/T Yes97%


After the first disclosure, most of the survivors speak out again their experiences with other persons


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Facing the disclosure, several people adopt avoidance behaviors

Question : When you were disclosing incest experiences for the first time , the one to whom you spoke…

Spontaneously spoke about it with you later

Showed embarrassment and prefered to avoid the talk or to change of subject

Asked you or adviced you to keep silent

Guided you towards specialist advices in order to lodge a complaint

Was in doubt with your statement or accused you to lie

Reported to the judicial authorities

NoYes Do not reply



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Most of the survivors never spoke about the subject with their perpetrators

Question : Did you talk with your perpetrator about what happened ?

Yes, onceYes, several times No

S/T Yes44%



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Sample : Incest survivors who have again spoken to other persons(330 répondants)

A disclosure that has finally reached the family circle

Question : Who are the persons to whom you have again spoken out ? – Open question, spontaneous replies.

I have spoken freely/ without any taboo / I speak with a lot of people

The justice / a lawyer

The police / The police constablee

A social worker

Others incest survivors

A teacher / an educator

On a forum website

The perpetrator

In a group therapy

Another health professional

To media / I have written a book

A priest

No reply

A friend / an acquaintance

Your partner / Your previous partner

A psychotherapist / psychiatrist / psychoanalyst /

psychologist

Your father / your mother

A brother, a sister

The family circle

Another member of the family

A physician

Your children

A member of a supportive charity

from AIVI

ColleaguesTotal > 100, several replies are possible

77%

S/T Family


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In one case over two, the perpetrator denied the facts and in one case over three, he threatened the survivor if she/he would disclose

Question : Your perpetrator…

Sample : Survivors who spoke to their perpetrators (151 respondents)

45

34

21

17

54

63

76

80

3

3

1

3

NoYes No reply

Acknowledged the facts

Has threatened you if you disclosed the facts to others

Has apologized to you

Has had remorses


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Nearly three quater of survivors did not lodge a complaint

Question : Did you lodge a complaint against your perpetrator ?

NoYes



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The delay of reporting and the family pressure may probably explain why there was not always a trial

Question : Did you get a trial ?

Sample : Incest survivors who lodged a complaint against their perpetrator (103 respondents)

2%

28%

55%15%

Yes, but your perpetrator has not been convicted

Yes and your perpetrator has been convicted

No Do not answer

S/T Yes43%


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Question : Why did you not lodge a complaint ?

Sample : Survivors who did not lodge a complaint (238 respondents)

Total > 100, several replies are possible

The facts were barred by the statute of limitations

You did not feel able to face a trial

You have been afraid to be rejected by your family

Your perpetrator died

Your were afraid not to be believed/ not to win the trial (fear to be dismissed/ lack of evidence/ memories too uncertain / unfair

trial/...)

You were in denial/ amnesia/ in shame

You were afraid to destroy your family/ to do wrong towards to the family circle

You were frightened by your perpetrator

You did not believe that a trial may help (In order to restore/ Not need/ The perpetrator paid in another way/ He prefered to

apologize...)

You were too young/ still under 18 years)

Others (the perpetrator got a cerebral vascular accident/ too many perpetrators )

The mean reasons which explain why the survivors do not lodge a complaint : the delay of prescription, the fear and the family pressure

April 2010

Documents

Transcript of April 2010